Festive Holly Cake Food

SNOW-TOPPED HOLLY CAKES

Steps:

• Tip the sugar, butter, dried fruit, whole cherries, ginger, orange zest and juice into a large pan. Pour over the rum, brandy or juice, then put on the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter. Reduce the heat and bubble gently, uncovered for 10 mins, stirring every now and again to make sure the mixture doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Set aside for 30 mins to cool.
• Stir the nuts, eggs and ground almonds into the fruit, then sift in the flour, baking powder and spices. Stir everything together gently but thoroughly. Your batter is ready.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Butter and line the base and sides of a 18cm square tin with baking paper. Spoon the cake mix into the tin and level the top with a spoon dipped into boiling water. Bake for 45 mins, then turn oven down to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and cook for 1 hr more or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep well-wrapped in foil for 2 months or freeze for 1 year.
• Carefully cut the square cake in half and trim the edges so that you see the texture of the cake on all sides. Roll out each piece of marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar until the size of the top of each cake.
• Generously brush the top of the cakes with jam, place jam-side down on top of the marzipan, then trim away the excess marzipan with a sharp knife.
• Make up the fondant icing to a spreading consistency, then spread on top of the cakes so that it slightly runs over the edges. Top with cherries and holly, then leave to set. Will keep in a plastic container in a cool place for 4-7 days.

CLASSIC ICED HOLLY CAKE

Steps:

• Sit the cake on a cake board or serving plate. Brush the top and sides with some of the jam. Roll out the marzipan on an icing-sugar-dusted surface until large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake - use a piece of string to help you measure. Carefully lift your marzipan on top and smooth down the sides of the cake to stick. Trim the bottom, then brush all over again with more jam.
• Make sure your surface is really clean, then dust again with a little icing sugar. Knead 850g of the icing until it is very smooth and pliable. As with the marzipan, roll out the icing, then cover the cake and once again trim any excess from the bottom. Smooth out any bumps or marks with the flats of your hands, rubbing the icing to buff it to a shine.
• Pull off about a fifth of the remaining icing and knead in enough red food colouring to give a bright colour. Pinch off small amounts and roll between your fingers to make little 'berries'. Sprinkle some glitter on a saucer and roll the balls in it to coat completely. Shake off any excess glitter and set aside to firm up.
• Knead some green food colouring into the remaining icing and roll it out thinly on an icing-sugar-dusted surface. Stamp out lots of holly leaves and begin sticking them onto your iced cake. Use a paintbrush to moisten the underside of each leaf with a little water - don't make them too wet though, or the green colour might leak onto the rest of the cake. When you have added enough holly leaves, mix a splash of water into some icing sugar to make a runny but fairly stiff icing, and use this to stick on your glitter berries. Leave the cake for a good couple of hours to dry before cutting into it. The cake will sit happily uncut for up to 2 weeks. Once cut into, keep in an airtight tin for up to a month.

HOLLY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with silicone baking mats and have rolling pin at hand.
• Add egg whites to medium bowl and whisk in sugar until frothy, about 1 minute.
• Sift in flour, then add vanilla and stir with fork. Add butter and food coloring to combine. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make stencils: Trace holly leaf cookie cutter (for leaves) onto heavy piece of paper and carefully cut out shape, keeping stencil intact.
• Working with 1 at a time, lay stencils on baking mat and spoon Tbsp of mixture into center. Spread very thinly using offset spatula, then carefully remove stencil. Repeat 5 more times per cookie sheet.
• Bake until just starting to turn golden at edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from oven. Carefully drape cookies over rolling pin and allow to cool before transferring to wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookie batter.
• Line small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush cranberries with corn syrup and roll in granulated sugar. Transfer to prepared sheet until dry, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours
• Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
• Using electric mixer, mix together sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and beat on low speed 1 minute until combined and fully incorporated.
• Add eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in milk and vanilla (batter may look curdled). Add flour and mix until just combined.
• Spoon scant 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until wooden pick inserted in centers of comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• To decorate: Transfer buttercream to piping bag fitted with star tip; pipe buttercream in spiral to cover tops of cupcakes. Add candied cranberries to centers as berries, then place tuiles to resemble leaves.

HALLOWEEN MONSTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place cake, bottom side up, on large platter or foil-covered cookie sheet. Remove 2 tablespoons of white frosting from container; set aside. Remove one-third of the frosting (about 1/2 cup) to small bowl. Tint black; set aside. Tint remaining frosting neon green. Frost sides and top of cake with neon green frosting.
• Using picture as a guide, use decorating icing with a round tip to outline hair. Add licorice pieces for eyebrows. Use reserved white frosting to form eyes. Use icing to outline remaining facial features. Spread black frosting within the outlines to fill in the hair. Store loosely covered.